Coco Gauff has enjoyed a dream start to life at the Miami Open, beating Sofia Kenin 6-0, 6-0 in her opening match.
Gauff’s speed and defence were praised ahead of her Miami Open clash with Kenin, in what was a meeting between two Grand Slam champions.
WTA number three Gauff wants to win another Grand Slam in 2025, with her only such title to date coming at the 2023 US Open.
She is shining once more on home soil, with Gauff now taking on Maria Sakkari in the third round of the Miami Open.
The 21-year-old American is the third seed at the WTA 1000 event, with her Greek opponent the number 28 seed.
Coco Gauff secures first ‘double bagel’ win over Sofia Kenin at the Miami Open
Handed a bye in round one, Gauff needed just 47 minutes to beat the 2020 Australian Open champion in round two.
Analysing the win, she told Tennis Channel: “Definitely perfect. I have no critiques for myself. I was nervous the last game because I think it was the first time I have ever done that in my pro career.
“I am very satisfied against a tough opponent, she is no easy opponent. I knew going in I had to be on my game and maybe because I respect her so much I really was locked in. She is the type of player who you never feel comfortable against, regardless of the score.”
Taylor Fritz ‘bagel’ claim reemerges as Coco Gauff beats Sofia Kenin
A 6-0 set win has become known as a ‘bagel’, with Gauff managing to inflict two such sets over former WTA number four Kenin.
The manner of the victory also unsurprisingly popped up in her winning press conference, where she was told that Taylor Fritz has said that opening with a 6-0 win can be a curse.
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Asked if she agrees that it can indeed go downhill from that moment, perhaps due to nerves, she said: “I wasn’t thinking about that today but after our match I did think about it.
“I did have a little bit of nerves, only in the first game of the second set because I was like I want to hold serve. Sometimes that momentum can easily change.
“So I think if you start that game holding serve, I feel like you go out and hold serve and it’s a big difference. At 5-0 I really wanted the 6-0 so I was a bit nervous that moment too.”
Coco Gauff plays ‘really great tennis’ to thrash Sofia Kenin at Miami Open
Gauff and Kenin were level at 2-2 in their WTA head-to-head record pre-match, in what was a potential banana skin for the third seed.
But she emphatically denied an early upset at the Miami Open, having also beaten Kenin in their 2025 Australian Open first round meeting.
Asked if she thought her fellow American was ill or off her game, or indeed if she herself was just so on form, Gauff replied: “I don’t think she was sick or anything, not that I noticed. I was definitely playing well today and maybe she wasn’t playing her peak, great tennis.
“I don’t think anyone playing their best tennis would have that scoreline today, so I am not going to sit here and say she played her best tennis but I think it was a combination of me playing really well, it was really great tennis from me, and her not playing as well.”
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